Interview: Actress Beau Garrett Pass the Catwalk & Through buildOn to SAUGERTIES

Playwright Susan Eve Haar's new play SAUGERTIES has just opened at the Hudson Guild Theatre. Directed by Abigail Zealey Bess, SAUGERTIES stars Chad L. Coleman as Rog and Beau Garrett as Jen, a pair of couples in relationship crisis. I had the opportunity to ask a few quick questions of Beau Garrett on her personal journey to her theatrical board's debut in SAUGERTIES.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Beau!

What cosmic forces drew you to participate in SAUGERTIES?

Man, so many cosmic forces it is crazy. In short, I had never done a play. I had been kicking around with the thought of attempting to put up DREAMER EXAMINES HIS PILLOW by John Patrick Shanley in Los Angeles, and I had been researching what it takes to actually get something like that off the ground. So that was in the back of my mind, and then I happened to have a meeting with someone who knew about a play that was coming to L.A., and looking for their girl. I read it, connected to it, put myself on tape. The day I found out I got the role, I was sitting at coffee shop and a woman introduced herself as the woman I bought my home from. She said that the house had this history of making people step into their potential and go outside of the comfort zone and grow. It was during that conversation that I got the offer. So, yea, cosmic universal forces all around this one.

How would you describe the plot of SAUGERTIES in a three-line pitch?

A three line pitch!! How daunting! SAUGERTIES is a story about a couple in the throws of turmoil feverishly searching for a connection back into each other. It is a story about an eerily similar couple navigating their relationship while both are holding onto life shattering secrets. It is about how pathology can define us and the risks we take to redefine our story.

Will this be your Los Angeles theatre debut?

This will be my theatre debut in any city, in any state, in any country!

If your character Jen was submitting an online dating site profile, what characteristics would she list of herself?

Well, there would be two profiles for Jen. The first would be as follows: Jen, charismatic, emotionally "capable" woman who is looking for someone to help her escape from reality every now and then. She wants kids and likes to paint and doesn't mind spending a good amount of time alone. She is looking for someone who likes to read, can teach her things and isn't afraid to go all in.

The second is this: Jen is a straight forward, educated female who tends to enjoy reading over traveling. She likes to work and finds that in life, those that are productive tend to have happier lives. She is looking for a partner who can keep up and also give her the space to make decisions on her own. Not looking to start a family, but happy to help raise a kid if he already has one.

What characteristics would she ignore to include?

Both Jen's would probably ignore including the depth of their turmoil. They would avoid talking a lot about their upbringing and keep things very casual until they knew they could trust and be safe with said partner.

What advantages of already having worked in front of audiences and cameras as a model give you a one up in acting?

I don't know that anything really prepares you for the complexity and detail-oriented ride of prepping for a play. I have had many years of experience as an actress, and know the process of breaking down script and character; but choreographing a play is its own beast. It has been incredibly rewarding to dive deep and be very strict about the dance of the acts, so we don't get lost when we are up there. You don't always get to have such a collaborative experience in regards to the background work or have people clued in and supporting the choices you are making and why. You have to be a thoroughbred for this kind of work and I am grateful to have the opportunity to do it with these cats.

You started modeling in your early teens, notably for GUESS in the late 1990s. Did you envision modeling as your career? Or did you want to work with horses? Or...?

I never envisioned I would model. I wanted to be a journalist and travel all over and be a nomad. I just didn't realize that the gypsy in me would manifest in a different art form.

Who were your role models growing up?

I never had any role models... is that insane? I just read a lot of books and got lost on the fantasy of other peoples stories. The amount of life you can chose to have or not have.

You were a semi-finalist in the international finale of the 1997 Elite Model Look. What do you see as the pros and cons of beauty pageants in 2019?

I am not sure that there are many pros to beauty contests aside from experience. I got to travel and be with a ton of girls and navigate all the insecurities that come from being young, coupled with being young and being judged on beauty. I ate carrots for dinner, obsessed over my weight and judged myself a lot. It isn't the healthiest foundation, but I think it can give you a thick skin, and evolve you in a way not possible compared to other upbringings.

What got you interested in getting involved with the nonprofit buildOn?

I had been looking for a non-profit I aligned with for awhile. I had worked locally with Habitat for Humanity and loved getting my hands dirty. I was invited to a BuildOn fundraiser, and the moment I got there, I knew I had found something I was behind. I have built three schools internationally with them and I hope soon, I can get the fourth under my belt.

Any particular accomplishment of buildOn you're especially proud of?

Every build is an accomplishment. I mean, raising the money, organizing a team that sticks with it from the beginning until the build, getting there (which is never a small feat) and then finally putting a shovel into the ground and building alongside these people is an accomplishment unlike anything you can describe. When you are in the village, living in a host families home, it all makes sense.

Any upcoming projects for Beau Garrett you can share with us?

I have an upcoming project, but not at liberty to talk about at the moment because not everything is finalized. But I can say the cosmic forces led me to it.

What feelings would you like the Hudson Guild Theatre audiences to walk out with after your curtain call?

I would love people to walk away from SAUGERTIES thinking. Discussing the two stories, and how it relates or doesn't relate to their life. We all want to be understood and loved, and I am hoping that this play sheds light on the many avenues that need takes shape. I also hope people stay along for the ride and all the feelings that SAUGERTIES walks you down.

Thank you again, Beau! I look forward to experiencing SAUGERTIES.

For ticket availability and show schedule through September 8, 2019; log onto OnStage411.com

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